UPDATE: READ THE DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS OF 2019

It is indisputably essential for marketers to be updated with the latest trends and developments in the world of social media. With the customers demanding a better integrated and comprehensive experience, the following top 18 digital marketing trends are definitely the ones to watch out for this year!

- Say hi to professional live videos: 2018 will see more live videos. Now professional marketers are also stepping up their game with live videos. Eye-catching video content is as important today as the content itself. The digital marketing community will see a huge boost in 2018 in regards to the content of videos.
- Content marketing is here to stay: Content Marketing will be the undisputed king in immersing users in marketing and web content. It will grow on to become the key digital marketing strategy for all marketers.
- Brand specific social media apps: We will see brands making their own mobile apps so that the users can enjoy all the latest updates and news from their favorite brands. This will also prove to be a boon to all the marketers as it will gain them colossal visibility and user base.
- Voice marketing on the rise: Along with written content, now brands will use voice to engage customers in a more immersive experience. It cannot be doubted that 20% and more of Google’s searches are through voice. Hence, customers are quite accustomed to asking Siri, or Alexa to do things for them. This will only grow in 2018.
- Pay per click advertising: Pay per click or PPC saw immense success in 2017. The trend will be used more effectively and predominantly in 2018 to generate a lot of passive income for website owners.
- SEO optimization in digital marketing: SEO will remain in the industry as the best way to increase page visibility. The importance of SEO is apparent in content marketing and digital marketing. Users will continue to look up to it as the one-stop digital marketing solution.
- Wearables to increase brand development: Brands will make their own wearables to keep customers loyal to the brand. This will also create hype and excitement among users owing to its novelty factor.
- Artificial Intelligence user interfaces: The world is getting smarter by the second. Digital marketing will also see a significant shift towards using AI to know the likes and dislikes of the customers better. This will be an ingenious digital marketing technique to get more followers.
- Increase in the number of smartphone users: Handheld devices have changed how we use and access the internet. Mobile optimization will be a big deal in 2018. With it, the number of smartphone users will increase significantly too.
- Native advertising: It is an excellent way to gain more customers and their fan following. Native advertising shows a company’s interest in a specific area or user group. 2018 will see a substantial amount of native advertising groups to attract customers to a brand.
- Better offline experiences: Apps and softwares will be able to work offline, making a more immersive experience for users. This will be a revolutionary step into increasing the user base since internet will not be necessary to access these apps and softwares then.
- Influencer marketing: It is a method of targeting and engaging loyal fans who start a conversation on social media and other sites. Digital marketing will see more influencer marketing in 2018, increasing user engagement dramatically.
- Personalized customer engagement strategies: Giving customers an experience unique to them will surely get you their likeness and loyalty. This strategy will be amplified this year.
- Blockchain – reality versus hype: Whether or not cryptocurrency falls, blockchain is here to stay! Be sure to see blockchain based technologies in the future of digital marketing that will take the form of reality instead of a fad.
- The fall of the mighty Twitter as opposed to LinkedIn’s rise: Twitter is losing its followers to LinkedIn which gives a more professional approach to social media. We may see a shift that may not go in Twitter’s favor this year with Twitter followers joining LinkedIn for good!
- The reign of chatbots: Chatbots will cater to customers’ questions and queries to help them clear their doubts. A faster and efficient way of digital marketing is definitely foreseeable in 2018!
- Increased emphasis on logo design and graphics: Logos attract customers to a brand by giving them a symbol they can relate to. 2018 will undoubtedly bring out more refined and alluring logos to keep customers hooked.
- IoT: The biggest advantage of IoT is that it doesn’t need a screen to interact with users; voice works just perfectly! 2018 will see digital marketing strategies woven into IoT implementation.